Hey everyone I had the honor to interview Vernon Knight a Street Stock Racer at South Bend Motor Speedway. The track is only 30 minutes away from his home in Michigan City ,Indiana. Vernon started racing in 2012 and achieved Rookie of the Year honors at South Bend Motor Speedway.
Vernon Knight is good friend’s with fellow Street Stock Racer Danny Brown Jr. They both pit side by side every Saturday Night. Vernon Knight asked Danny Brown Jr.,and his pit crew to help crew chief on his car.
The friendship between Vernon Knight and Danny Brown Jr has grown to mutual respect for each other on and off the racetrack. Vernon says South Bend Motor Speedway is a family and it’s like being at home.
Vernon had 2 heat wins back in 2012. In 2013 he had 2 more heat wins and made every Feature. Vernon struggled by only completing 2 features in the 2013 racing season. In 2014 he had 3 A Feature wins and 3 heat wins added to his racing resume.
In 2015 Vernon took a break from racing until the 2019 racing season. He posted 1 heat win so far this year. The competition is always fast and furious at South Bend Motor Speedway. Vernon tries his best to make the A Feature and race against his friend and crew chief Danny Brown Jr.
On May 30th 2014 Vernon fulfilled his racing dream and desire of finishing ahead of Danny Brown Jr thus winning his first A Street Stock Feature at South Bend Motor Speedway. Danny Brown Jr is probably the winningest driver in South Bend Motor Speedway Street Stocks. Danny is well respected by fans and racers alike and that respect was earned on the track and in the pit area at South Bend.
Vernon won his heat on May 30th 2014. This heat win inverted him to the back of his feature where he paced himself and the car hooked up on a rail allowing him to stay ahead of Danny Brown Jr. Danny tried everything he could but just could not pass Vernon!
Vernon says he achieved his main racing goal by finishing ahead of Danny Brown Jr that night. Vernon raced s few times at M40 Speedway in Jones,Michigan. He ran a Sportsman twice at Motville Speedway in 2012 but says the street stocks at South Bend Motor Speedway is his favorite division to run in.
Vernon has one more goal and that’s to do what very few racers have done by passing Danny Brown Jr on the outside. The idea of rubbing and swapping paint with Danny is the thrill of a lifetime for him.
Vernon has raced at Illiana Speedway on the quarter mile track which was inside the half mile flat track. He ran the Toilet Bowl Feature at Kalamazoo Speedway finishing 4th which was an exciting moment in his racing career.
Vernon won that night, May 30th in front of 7,400 fans due to it being free admission that evening. Just imagine a jam packed grandstand seeing him win ahead of the most respected driver in the pits that being Danny Brown Jr.
Vernon struggled keeping his Landscaping business going while racing at the same time can be exhausting thus creating more personal issues. His wife Natalie Knight and his father Vernon Knight Sr told him to keep on racing, fulfill his racing dream and keep that fire and passion alive!
Vernon did it he won his 2nd feature on July 4th,2014! His wife and dad were both there cheering him on! Vernon would like to win a Street Stock Championship at South Bend Motor Speedway. Vernon Knight is proof that if you have a dream and just a tiny bit of support from family and friend’s that you can live a dream. I hope to see Vernon and Danny race side by side door to door with that on- track respect they have for each other. Go high! Go low! May the best man win!
